The Galaxy Z Fold3 is one of the best Android phones I've ever used. Having a phone when you need it and a tablet when you want it rolled into one device makes sense. I love the Fold3, and I love using a compatible S Pen with it. Samsung's stylus is excellent no matter what phone you use it with, but having the larger screen of the Fold makes it better. When rumors suggested the Fold4 would have a built-in S Pen, many people were overjoyed at the idea, and you'd probably expect me to feel the same. And while I do want an included S Pen in the Fold series at some point, I think there are more important issues that need to be ironed out first.

As much as I love the Fold3, it has some glaring flaws that can be hard to look past, and none of these issues stand out more than battery life. I know battery life can be subjective, so I'll briefly outline my average usage on this device.

On relaxed days as seen in the screenshot above, the phone would manage around 4-5 hours of screen time on Wi-Fi with some light Twitter and Telegram open in split-screen with YouTube. But regular workdays are a different story. With mixed Wi-Fi and 5G running Slack, Asana, Chrome, Telegram, Whatsapp, Twitter, Calendar, and Gmail all kept open in the background, often with at least two of those apps open on the screen at once, I'd be lucky if I squeeze three hours of screen time out of it. I stopped using the Fold as my daily device back in December, so I don't have any screenshots with that kind of activity, but I had enough days with it to know those numbers.

These days, the Fold3 spends its time in my pocket or bag, being tethered to my S22 Ultra or nearby Wi-Fi when I want to use it. That's the crux of the matter, I want to use it. But the constant battery anxiety isn't for me.

What does that have to do with the S Pen? In a word, space. The S Pen takes up a significant amount of internal volume in a smartphone, and space is already an issue on the Fold series. The Fold3 has to be thin when unfolded because that thickness doubles when you fold it up. Samsung has to balance ergonomics with internal volume, and the battery has been taking the biggest hit. A combined 4,400mAh of battery capacity doesn't sound small, but when you consider that it needs to drive two bright displays with 120Hz, one of which is much larger than that of your average smartphone, it's no wonder that longevity is an issue. This device is also built almost entirely around multitasking and running three or more apps on the screen simultaneously demands even more power.

Adding a compartment for the S Pen will likely mean smaller batteries (the Z Fold 3 uses two separate battery cells), which isn't a sacrifice worth making. But let's say Samsung manages to squeeze an S Pen into the Fold4 while retaining the same battery size as the Fold3. It's not too hard to imagine, it was able to do the same thing with the S22 Ultra compared to its predecessor. But even then, I'd prefer that space-saving be put into an even larger battery or improved cameras. When you're spending close to $2,000 on a phone, even one as special as a foldable, you need as few compromises as possible, particularly when it comes to battery life.

When Samsung inevitably adds the S Pen to the Fold, there are other improvements I'd like to see. The Fold3, for example, only lets you use the S Pen on the inner display, not the cover screen. I know — you won't want to draw or take notes for extended periods on that tiny screen, but there are still times when being able to would be helpful.

On the Galaxy Note and S22 Ultra, removing the stylus while the phone is locked lets you quickly jot something down on the Always On Display, where it will remain visible until you dismiss it. If you need to quickly make a reminder to get milk on your way home or write down someone's phone number, this is the easiest way to do it.

I'm looking forward to seeing what's next for foldable, and I hope that future devices include the S Pen. But I need to see other improvements before I can start recommending these devices to others or consider using one as my daily driver.